High Street retail offers PC
games 'invaluable exposure'

PC GAMING WEEK: Sales of boxed PC games may have reached their lowest point in history, but the creators of Football Manager and The Sims insist the High Street remains vital.

The majority of PC games are bought digitally. Yet Sports Interactive’s Miles Jacobson and The Sims exec producer Rachel Franklin told MCV that putting PC games in boxes helps the market reach a broader audience that download stores cannot.

Both The Sims and Football Manager regularly dominate the PC retail charts.

“Having a presence on the High Street gives us invaluable exposure to customers who otherwise might not have us at the front of their minds,” said Jacobson. “Football Manager appeals to a broad cross-section of the public, so we need to be seen by the casual game buyer.

Franklin added:“The Sims has broad appeal. We appeal to players that are digitally savvy and not digitally savvy.”

MCV is the leading trade news and community site for all professionals working within the UK and international video games market. It reaches everyone from store manager to CEO, covering the entire industry. MCV is published by NewBay Media, which specialises in entertainment, leisure and technology markets.